With Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act set to expire in just 26 days, we believe the USA FREEDOM Act offers an effective path forward. The USA FREEDOM Act allows Congress to support privacy and civil liberties while also preserving targeted intelligence capabilities. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation without weakening it.

The bill would put an end to bulk data collection authorized under the PATRIOT Act. It would also significantly improve transparency by requiring the disclosure of important rulings by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, increasing government reporting requirements regarding surveillance activities, and allowing greater levels of reporting by private entities that receive surveillance demands.

While the USA FREEDOM Act is far from comprehensive surveillance reform, it is an important step in the right direction that Congress should continue to build upon.

Tech Freedom is a non-profit, non-partisan technology think tank launched in 2011. TechFreedom is excited about the future. Focusing on issues of Internet freedom and technological progress, we work to protect innovation and discovery from powers that fear change. Technology is the great driver of social progress and human well-being, and we aim to keep it that way.